Impressive Growth of Fee-Only Advisors
As we start a new year filled with promise, I would like to share our story with you. We view Rockbridge Investment Management as a community of talented professionals and clients who value our services. Working together with our clients we hope to fulfill our collective goals of financial independence and well being. Our Vision […]
What Grade Does Your Retirement Account Get?
Schools and parents have always taught students to strive for A’s and B’s. In fact, it would be hard to do well in school without using grades as goals or milestones. Unfortunately after school, grades fall off the radar. By translating retirement savings into something as simple as a letter grade, retirement preparation can be […]
Diversify your 401(k)
If you currently work for a publicly traded company, there is a good chance that you own some of their stock in your 401(k). You may even have incentives from the company to own more of it. In fact, some companies make their matches or profit sharing contributions in their own stock which just increases […]
Top Retirement Mistake
The Wall Street Journal recently published a great article called “Five Big Retirement Mistakes”. The top mistake listed was not paying for financial guidance. “People who have no problem paying for the services of an accountant or lawyer often balk at the prospect of cutting a check to pay for investment advice. Instead, they rely […]
Fund your Retirement, not Wall Street!
A recent article in The Economist talks about the reasons to stick with low cost ETF’s and proper asset allocation for the long term success. “The best way for investors to play the odds is to choose low-cost ETFs or trackers and diversify geographically and across asset classes. It is not an exciting strategy. It will […]
The Fiscal Cliff: Why Selling Now Is Not Always The Best Strategy
The daily fiscal cliff news coverage is causing irrational investor behavior regarding unrealized long-term capital gains (LTCG). Without congressional action the LTCG rate is set to increase from 15% in 2012 to 20% in 2013. In addition, high earners are subject to a 3.8% Medicare surtax applied to all capital gains. (income greater than $250,000 […]
Controlling Costs – A Financial Recipe for Success
I have seen people drive miles out of their way for the cheapest gas, shop at multiple grocery stores for the best prices, and even wake up at uncanny hours to receive the best deals on holiday presents! As consumers we are always looking for a good deal, and price is one of the largest […]
401(k) Fee Disclosure Coming Soon . . .
If you have a 401(k) account, your next statement may not look much different, but it will contain some very interesting and powerful information. During the last several years, increased focus has been given to the expenses and fees charged to retirement plan participants. The Department of Labor (DOL) recently published regulations under the Employee […]
Market Commentary October 2012
The equity markets finished a very strong quarter in September, erasing the losses of the second quarter, and more, pushing returns solidly into double-digit territory for the year. If the S&P 500 could hold its 16% gain through the next quarter, it would be the third best annual result of the past decade, and above […]
Maximizing Social Security benefits requires financial planning
Social Security planning has become an increasingly complex area of financial planning. As more couples reach retirement age, it’s important to review all the scenarios to maximize your hard earned Social Security benefits. Mary Beth Franklin, editor of Investment News, explains how “with the right elections, married couples can dramatically up their (Social Security) payouts.” […]